Ticket-printing apparatus.



` I'. ELLBR. TICKET PRINTING APPARATUS.

ArrLIoL'rIon" FILED rBB.25.1a1a.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

In@ Mmmm .uvam MEMEII l l l himmm Wale laine EDDDDDDDDUDDDUDDDDDDNDDDDDUDDUDDU U/UDDDDDDDDD D DDDDDDU F. BLLBR. TICKET PRINTINGAPPARATUS. L'PPLIOATION FILED FEB. 25,1913.`

10772194; latemtem 001:.28, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

46 f1 al )Witnesses jah fn Venier:

7 Marne?.

P. BLLER. TICKET PRINTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IBB. 25,1913.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

d@ l I Hforne I'. lELLER. TICKET PBINTING-APPABATUS. APPLICATION IILEDFEB. 25,1913.

' Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

frm/enfer 'ELLEL TICKET PRINTING APPARATUS.

. l APPLICATION FILED rEB.25,1913. 1,077,194, Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Inventor 1 Friedrich El ler,

tnesses: i

rninnnicii' ELLER,

or raANnronr-oN-'rrin-MAIN, sumar, Assioma ro ALLGEMEINEEtnxrniz'raars-GESELLSCHAFT, or nEnLiN, GERMANY.

TICKET-PRINTING Arran-Artis.

speeincation of' Leners fatent.

Patented oct. 28,1913.

Application led February 25, 1918. Serial No. 750,553.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, F'ninpnioii ELLaR, a subject of the King of Prussia,and' resident of Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Ticket-Printing Apparatus; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled inl the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same. v

This invention relates to ticket printing apparatus and moreparticularly to an apparatus for printing tickets, such as railwaytickets automatically, and in which the individual printingr blocks,plates or forms are stacked in a suitable magazine or receptacle and areadapted to be brought into any desired selective connection with theprinting mechanism by a displacement of the latter and of the saidreceptacle or magazine respectively.

The object of this invention is to eiect, after the attendant hasindicated the ticket to be printedl by manipulating a suitable selectordevice or member as a plug, a key, a lever or the like, automaticallythe whole of the movements necessary for the selection of that printingblock, its insertion in the printing mechanism, the printing operationand the reintroduction of the printing block into its magazine withoutany substantial exertion or force in operating the apparatus.

`Another object of the invention is to render the apparatus and itsinternal arrangement inaccessible to the attendant so as to,

avoid any irregular manipulations.

To this end according to this invention provide in connection with theindividual selection devices which are suitably arranged on a wall orpanel and correspond to the diiierent rinting blocks or forms,adjustable abutments or stops which by the use' of the selection devicesare caused tol limit the relative movements of the printing blockcontainer or magazine Vand the printing mechanism respectively at apoint or points predetermined by the selection made so as to enable theselected printing block to be inserted in the printing mechanism. -Theseabutments or stops may be formed either by the adjusting means actuatedin the manipulation of the particular 'selection device or by separatestops in which latter case they are brought into their limiting positionby abutments or stops may mechanism 2 anda divisions or el'ds 4. Thecasing 1 is divided into a number of vertical compartments or magazines5 located magazines the individual printing blocks 6 .by means of a theselection device employed in selecting that particular eld. The latterarrangement is preferable where the movements of the magazine and of theprinting mechanism take place in different directions, that is to say,in the case in which the printing blocks are arranged side by side andone above the other. In this case as many stops have to be' adjustedfrom each selection device as there are directions of movement. The beadjusted either mechanically or electrically. In order to still furtherfacilitate the handling of the apparatus, the selection device may alsobe used for starting and stopping the driving mechanism so that thewhole of the actions ending with the delivery of the printed ticket arestarted by a single manual operation.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the form of an apparatus for printing railway tickets withmechanically adjustable limiting stops;

Figure 1 and Fig. 1a taken together are a total view of the arrangementin front elevation, partly in section. Fig. 2 shows a lateral elevationpartly in section. Fig. ,3 is a plan view, Fig. 4 shows in detail aportion of a printing block magazine in longitudinal section. Fig. 5 isa detail side view of the printing y mechanism and the arrangement fordriving the same. Fig. 6 is aperspective detail View showing moreparticularly the lmeans for transferring a printing block to theprinting roller. y

Thedevice comprises mainly a casing 1 containing the printing blocks, aprinting panel 3 with selection side bylside. In these are superposed,as shown in Figs. 4; and 6; It is important that the printing mechanism2 and the magazines 5 should becapable ofrelativedisplacement so thataselectedI printing block may be brought in frontl of a printing rol-ler7 Y and introduced therein suitabledevice. To this end the printingmechanism 2. is adjustably'- arranged upon a carriage?) horizontallymovable on rollers 8, which run upon track 9 whereby it may be broughtin `frontof the, individual magazines 5. 'I hemechanism is driven by asuitable motor 10 which may, for instance, be an electromotor cou ledwith a driving shaft 11. Mounted on t is shaft is a sprocket wheel 12for the actuation of a ratchet gear 13 which is arranged 0n the printingmechanism shaft V14. Mounted,

' magazines 5. The movement of the printing mechanism is caused by abeveled ear 19 suitably mounted to be turned by aft 18 and to slidelongitudinally thereon, engaging a beveled gear 192 on the shaft of thedifferential gear 19. This differential gear comprises two bevel gears21 and 212 between which rolls the bevel ear 22 mounted on the shaft ofthe di erent-ial gear. The bevel gear 21 carries the pinion 2O whichoperates in the teeth of rack 21 to cause the carriage 9 to move therealong. The bevel gear 2l'2 carries the pinion 22 which operates in theteeth of a rack 23 having a lug 24 at the bottom thereof which engagesthe bottom of the magazine 5 to raise the same. The energy required tomove the carriage y9 is considerably less than that required .for liftina magazine 5. During the movement of e printing mechanism therefor thepinion 22 :and bevel gear 212 'remains `stationary and the 4turning of.bevel gear 1192 causes the bevel gear 22 to fdrive bevel gear 21 andhence move the 'carriage along the rack 21.. When the print- 'iin-g:mechanism is brought to :a standstill the .motion lofpinion 20 closes.and bevel gear 22 now drives bevel gear ,212 and through pin- :liion:22 lifts the vertical -rack 23 to elevate :a magazine The selectiontable 3 arranged above `this mechanism contains the:y rselectiondivisions or 'fields 14 which in the,` example illustrated `have theform of rec-j 'tangular apertures or :squame yholes desig-I mated 'bysuitable inscriptions :as shown 1n. 1, indicating ffor instance the:names of:l erent towns or stations correspondingI blocks .t'oheselected. These selection divisions :or holes coincide Iin "their" to.t-he printing vv,positions "with the'prin'ting blocks ycontained in"the magazines. "Thesse' finto the "tlon, yas

number of selecting oles 4. These aperitures are situated behind theselecting holes ecting element ar- A:rangedin this case OrLthemanipulation ofi `the-apparatus is a plug72`5, which is insertedkparticular hole-'4 according *to selecown in Fig. 3, In therearof eachvertical row of selecting holes 4 is `located a- 4 sov that the plug 25on bein inserted in a. selecting hole projects throug both the latterand its registering aperture 4and thereby depresses the correspondingbar 26 to a determined extent. Arranged beneath each bar 26 is one endof a two-armed lever 28, Figs. 2 and 3, on the other end of which restsa spring-actuated stop pin 29. These stop pins 29 serve for limiting thehorizontal movement of the printing mechanism, to which end the latteris provided with an abutment 30 adapted to coperate with these stops.One stop is provided for each magazine 5 so that the printing mechanismmay be brought to a standstill in front of the selected magazine.

Connected with the printing mechanism is a normally empty compartment 31which is moved with the printing mechanism across the magazine 5containing the printing blocks situated beneath it and which has suchcross section as to enable it to receive one of the magazines 5.Provided on one side or wall of the compartment 31 'are as manyadjustable abutments 32 as there are printing blocks in each magazine.These abutments 32 are integral with or connected to levers 33 which arerotatably journaled about vertical pivots 34 in the upper compartment31. The free ends of the levers 33 extend close to the vertical bars 26and are located substantially flush with the selecting holes 4 so as toenable them to engage with the plug 25, as will be readily understoodfrom Fig. 2. By this engagement the abutment 32lconnected with the lever-33 `thus struck is actuated or forced into the compartment 3l as shownin Fig. 4. Arranged on the top of each magazine k5, moreover, is asliding bolt 35 which as ,soon as it Icomes into contact with theoperative vabutment, 32 in the compartment 31 during the lascent of themagazine .5, is caused by that abutment to enter a 'toothed bar 36, as.shown lin Fig. 4, which is `vertically `.movable .fi-n :the compartment'31. :This bar f3.6 bears with `its upper end against the underside of.za rocking bar 37 which by means of a -con- .nesting rod 38, a bellcrank lever39 "a 'link "40- fa :be-l1 crank lever 41..and .a'pitman 42is adapted to actuate al'ocking :arrangement 43 provided for the'operation of the 'reversing :gear-@15. The two looking pawls 43 engagealternately with a locking rod 45 which is under the iniiuence cof :fatraction spring 44 and is connected with two movable clutch zmembers 46:and .47 of vthe reversing gear 15. uWhen a particular ticket for aparticular station is required, =`t`he plug 25 is inserted in fthecorresponding selection hole 4. B thisfaction the vertical bar-:26located in the rear-of thezselected hole is depressed thereby rockingthe lever 28 located beneath it which thus raises the corresponding stop29, as will be clearly understood :from Fig. 2. If

movement by the abutment 32. At

norma;

now the driving motor 10 is started which may be effected simultaneouslywith the insertion ofthe plug, either by the latter itself or the bar 26closing'an electric contact, the driving movement thus derived istransmitted by means of the reversing gear l and the chaingealring'l, 17to the'shaft 18, rEhediiferential gear'19 driven by this shaft 18 thenmoves, by Imeans of the toothed wheel 20,- the printing mechanismj2alongthe rack 21 until itstrikes-the raisedlstop pin 29. As soon as oftheprinting mechanism is thus' arrested the dierential gearing owingtothe lresistance of the stop pin is actuated as explained above withthe resultthat now its-toothed wheel 22 is caused 'to actuate rack 23 inupward direction. In this movement this rack by'means .of its lateralprojection24 raises the respective magazine 5 with lthe print-ing blocksarranged therein and moves it into the empty compartment 81 locatedabove it. Shortly before the printing mechanismfstrikes the stop 29 oneof the levers rarranged in the compartment 31 abuts against the inwardlyprojecting-end of the plug whereby with theaid of this lever theabutment 32 connected with it is pressed into the compartment 31. Now assoon as the magazine 5 containing the printing blocks has risen in thecompartment 31 till the boltv 35 strikes the'fprotruding abutment 32 thebolt 35 is forced intoengagement with the toothed bar 36 which is nowraised together with the magazine 5.,until the latter `is limited in itsthis moment the prin-ting block corresponding to the selected hole 4 issituated in front of the print-ing roller in which it is to be inserted.The rising bar36 now raises the rocking bar 37 which yby means of thetrans mission members 38 to 42 above referred to releases the operativelocking pawl 43 after which under the action of the traction spring 44the locking rod 45 vis retracted until the other pawl 43 vbecomesoperat-ive. By this movement the reversing gear .15 is thrown out ofaction andthe driving of the shaft 18 ceases. kAtl thesame ytime by therocking of the bell cra-nk lever 39 a pin 48 iswithdrawn `from -theratchet gear13 thereby Ienablingthe'printing shaft 114 -tov4 make onerevolution. r During thishrevolu'tioncofthe printing shaft 14 a pusher49 arranged o-n the printing mechanism issoactuated by .means :cfa-camdisk 495 as to cause its projecting-arms 75 -to ententhe-compartment31,:and to pushtheprinting blocklocated inline. therewith 4in thevmagazine l5 from in the r printing: roller 7 The platen 51 now movesvforward and by Ameans of alugcarries with it a blank ticket'ffrom a`magazine 52 at the y same-"time rotating .the-printing `rollerl by theifurther' movement the 'toothed means of a toothed rack so that theselected printing block is impressed upon the ticket located on theplaten. VVhe'n the platen has reached the end of=its forward movementthe printed ticket is caught by `a suitable catch 58 and iswiped o asthe platen returns to its initial position. In

this movement the printing roller also is brought back to its initialposition and the printing block just employed is moved back to itsoriginal place in the magazine by the annular lug 76 of the pusher 49.

-The movement-s above described are effected by means of the arrangementas shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, wherein, the cam disk 49 isshown as havinga cam slot 60 in which rides one end of a pivoted lever 61, the oppositeend of said lever being attached to the pusher 49. The cam disk ismounted on a shaft 62, which shaft is given a onehalf revolution bymeans of star wheel 63 and member 64 during the revolution of theprinting mechanism shaft 14. The shaft 62 carries two mutilated gears 65and 66. The cycle of operation is as follows: The first movement of thecam disk 49 rides the end of the lever 61 down the angular portion ofthe cam slot 60 thereby forcinga printing block 6 into the slot 50 ofprinti'ng roller 7. At the end of this movement the teeth 67 of gear 65engage pinion 68 and through the intermediate gears 69 roll the platen51 forward to eect the printing of the ticket. At the end of thisforward movement teeth 67 run beyond pinion 68 and teeth 71 on gear 66now engage pinion 72 which through the intermediate gears 69 returns theplaten and printing roller to their initial position, the teeth 71disengaging from pinion 72 at the end of this return movement. The endof lever 61 which during the forward and return movements just describedhas been moving lacross the straight portion of cam slot 6() now ridesup the angular portion of such cam slot and moves the pusher to returnthe printing block to its original place in the magazine 5. VV-hen therotation of the printing disk 53 arranged on this shaft actuates a lever54 by .which the reversing gear is so set as to cause the magazine andthe printing mechanism both previously raised by the shaft 18 to returnto initial position. At the same time -by means of pawls 56 and 57arranged on the carriage 9 and on a connecting rod- 55 respectively. thelocking device 43, 44 and 45 of the reversing gear is re-set and thedriving power stopped in a suitable manner.

Having now fully described and ascertained my said invention, and themanner in which it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1.Inl an apparatus for printing tickets. or

the like, a plurality of compartments, type shaft 14 is almost completeda cam blocks in .said compartments, a printin mechanism, said printingmechanlsm an v ment and to then operate the said compartment movingmeans to move the selected compartment relative to said printingmechanism.

2. In an apparatus for printing tickets or the like, a plurality of typeblock carrying members arranged side by side, type blocks carried bysaid members, a printing mechanism, said printing mechanism and carryingmembers being arranged for movement relative to each other whereby anycarrying member may be brought into alinement with said printingmechanism, means associated with the printingmechanism for moving acarrying member relative to the printing mechanism, a type ,blockselecting means, and means automatically brought into operation upon theoperation of said type block selecting means, to first bring the saidcarrying member and-printing mechanism into alinement and to thenoperate the said carrying member moving means to move the selectedcarrier relative to said printing mechanism.

3'. In an apparatus for 'printing ticketsl or the like, a magazinehaving movable compartments, type blocks in said compart-` ments, aprinting mechanism. mounted adjacent to saidmagazineA for movementrelative thereto, means carriedy by the printing mechanism for moving acompartment relative to the printing mechanism, a type block selectingmeans, and means automatically brought into operation upon` theoperation of said type block selecting' means to :first move saidprinting mechanism adjacent to the com art-ment containing the selectedtype blocli andto then operate? the said compartment moving mechanism tomove the selected compartment relative to said printing mechanism..

4. In an apparatus for printing tickets or the like, a magazine havingmovable compartments, type blocks in said compartments, a printingmechanism including a printing roller mounted adjacentl to said magazinefor movement relative" thereto, means carriedv by the printing mechanismfor moving a compartment relative to theA printing roller, a typeselecting'means, and means automatically brought into operation upon theoperation of said type selecting means to first move said printingmechanism adjacent to the compartments containing the selected type andto then operate the said compartment moving mechanism to move theselected compartment relative to said printing mechanism.

5. In an apparatus for printing tickets or the' like, a magazine havingmovable compartments, type blocks iny said compartments, a printingmechanism mounted adjacent to said magazine for movement relativethereto, means carried by the printing mechanism for moving acompartment relative to the printing mechanism, a type selecting means,means automatically brought into operation upon the operation of saidtype selecting means to first move said printing mechanism adjacent tothe compartment containing the selected type, and to then operate saidcompartment moving mechanism to move the selected compartment relativeto said printing mechanism and automatic "means controlled by themovement of the compartment for moving the selected type into theprinting mechanism.

6. In an apparatus for printing tickets or the like, a magazine havingmovable compartments, type blocks in said compartments, a printingmechanism mounted adjacent to said magazine for movement relativethereto, means carried by the printing y mechanism for moving acompartment relative to the printing mechanism, a type select-ing means,means automatically brought into operation upon the operation of saidtype selectin means to first move said printing mec anism adjacent tothe compartment containing the selected type, and to then operate saidcompartment moving mechanism to move the selected compartment relativeto said printing mechanism, and automatic means controlled by themovement of the compartment for noving the selected. type into theprinting mechanism, and for starting said printingv mechanism intooperation.-

In an apparatus for printing tickets or the like, a plurality ofvertically movable` com artments arranged side by side, type bloc s -insaid compartments, a printing mechanism mounted adjacent to saidcompartments for movement therealong, a stop appurtenant to eachcompartment adapted to be moved into the path of movement of saidprinting mechanism,means carried by said printing mechanism for movin acompartment vertically relative to sai printing mechanism, a type blockselecting means, means operated upon the operation of said selectingmeans for elevating the stop peculiar to the compartment containing theselected type block into theI path ofl movement of said printingmechanism,

means brought intov operation u on the operation of said selecting meansor causing the printing mechanism to move along said compartments, andmeans whereby when said printing mechanism engages said stop, saidcompartment moving means 1s brought into operation to move said selectedcompartment vertically relativev` to said printing mechanism.

8. In an apparatus for printin tickets or the like, a plurality ofvertical movable compartments arranged side by side, superposed typeblocks in said compartments, a printing mechanism mounted adjacent tosaid compartments for movement there'- along, means for moving acompartment vertically relative to said printing mechanism, stopsappartenant to each compartment for limiting the movement of theprinting mechanism and of each compartment, a type block selectingmeans, means operated upon the operation of said type block selectingmeans for moving the stop appui-tenant to the selected compartment intothe path of said printing mechanism and for movmg the stop appurtenantto the selected t pe block into the path of movement o said compartment,means brought into operation upon the operation of said selectin meansfor causing the printing mechamsm to move along said compartments, meanswhereby when said printing mechanism engages said stop, said compartmentmoving means is brought into operation to move said selected compartmentvertically relative to said printing mechanism, and means operated bvthe engagement of sald compartment with its stop for limiting I thefurther movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRIEDRICH ELLER.

Witnesses i ERNST SAHAWLY, FRANZ GRAU.

